News

The BVI’s Coolest New Eatery is a Road Town Rooftop

By: Caribbean Journal Staff - September 8, 2018

By Alexander Britell

There’s the sort of soundtrack you’d expect to find in Peckham or Paris, with panoramic views of brilliant green hills and tables hand-built from wine barrels.

On a hot afternoon in Tortola, this is the coolest place in town, a who’s who of Road Town and a buzzing culinary hotspot.

If you recognize the uniforms, it’s because they’re inspired by those from the legendary Calmos Cafe in St Martin, a favorite of Chef Regis Bourdon.

This is The Rooftop by Brandywine, and it’s the newest hotspot in the British Virgin Islands.

If you recognize the name, that’s because The Rooftop is from the same team behind Tortola’s legendary Brandywine Estate restaurant, which closed after last year’s storms and is now on the road back to recovery.

A lunchtime appetizer of foie gras.

When Brandywine shuttered, its chef, Regis Bourdon, spent months spearheading an effort to feed meals to local kids and helping repair roofs in the BVI — and when the time came, he saw this empty rooftop in the Cutlass Building in Road Town, the next step pure inspiration.

Chef Regis Bourdon.

Bourdon and his team built the entire restaurant themselves: the box-shaped kitchen, the wine-barrel tables, everything.

The eatery has also been graced by artwork from local watercolorist Riona Welford, who has adorned the walls with intricate murals.

Bourdon and his team built all the tables by hand.

Today, it’s a chic bistro, with Mediterranean fare and a host of creative tapas dishes, including excellent French-focused fare.

“It’s very laid back,” Bourdon tells Caribbean Journal. “I like that it’s easy to move around the tables, you have easy access. It’s a place where people can buzz around.”

It’s become the place to see and be seen in Road Town, perfect for a meal or just some wine and tapas, a place where you can spend all afternoon.

So what will happen when Brandywine reopens?

Bourdon, a native of the South of France, says The Rooftop is here to stay.

Because it’s a place where staying for awhile is exceptionally easy.

— CJ

Popular Posts caribbean travel

The Caribbean Travel Awards 2025

More than 32 million people visited the Caribbean in 2023, and that number should be eclipsed by the end of this year. In other words, the Caribbean is more popular than ever — deepening its position not just as the world’s […]


Aruba’s New Adults-Only Resort Has Swim-Up Suites, a Rooftop Bar and One of the World’s Greatest Beaches 

eagle beach cj photo

Eagle Beach. If you know Aruba, you know it. That wide, white, shimmering stretch of sand in the northwestern corner of the island is one of our favorite beaches in the Caribbean — and inarguably among the best beaches, well, anywhere […]


Marriott Just Opened a New Hotel in an Up-and-Coming Dominican Republic Destination 

Dominican Republic Marriott Santiago

Travelers are flocking to the Dominican Republic right now, from the all-inclusive hotspot of Punta Cana to the uncrowded beaches of Miches — leading to record-breaking visitor numbers for the Caribbean tourism powerhouse. But in recent years, another city in the […]


Related Posts tortola sugar mill

Caribbean Airlines Is Adding a New Island: Tortola, BVI 

The beach bars, the charter yachts, the private islands. The British Virgin Islands is among the more fascinating destinations in the Caribbean — but it’s not always easy to get to.  Enter Caribbean Airlines, which just announced plans to launch […]


There's a New Place to Stay on This Island in the BVI

british virgin islands stout

There is a new villa in the BVI: Cape Stout. Set on a private island in the BVI, Cape Stout’s six-building estate is designed to maximize both sunset and sunrise views, and to reflect the dramatic, oceanfront landscape.  A network […]


American Airlines’ Big British Virgin Islands Expansion 

tortola sugar mill

American Airlines is significantly ramping up its service to the British Virgin Islands for the holiday season, Caribbean Journal has learned.  Beginning Dec. 7, American will be increasing its BVI flight schedule to five peak-day flights starting Dec. 7.  That’s […]